Perfect Rainfall
by KittiKat626
Summary: [IchiRuki] Oneshots! [13: The One He Loves: How can I hate her? I can't ... even because of what she did ... because of what I saw in his eyes as he trained so hard. I can't hate her ... because she's the one he loves.
1. Dance With Me

Hi! I know people are going to **shoot me** for putting stuff up so often, but I swear this is the last. I have so many story ideas flowing around in my head, I needed to make a one-shot collection because **A Story a Day Keeps the Arrancar Away** is almost finished.

Anyway, I will update whenever I feel like it. :D

Oh, and the song/poem lyrics are by . . . **ME!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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Dance With Me

She smiles as her small body sways easily in response to the beautiful music flowing from the radio. Her violet eyes drift closed as she lets the music flow straight through her. It's so beautiful; peaceful. She knows that he is watching, but she doesn't stop. She doesn't care, because when she's like this, she feels free. He always watches. From a distance, she can feel him. And she knows that the music calms him, too, or else he wouldn't sit there and watch her every night.

But he does.

And he smiles.

Whether it is from the music of the slow, beautiful sway of her body, she doesn't know. But it makes him smile, and anything that can make him smile after a long, hard day, it's worth it.

She never tells him that she knows he watches her. But she wants to change that. She wants him to dance with her . . . tonight.

_Tonight, I want to feel free,  
As I sway, I know you're watching.  
But tonight, for just one time,  
Won't you please . . . dance with me?_

She stops dancing and turns the music low. Then, she walks toward him. He is sitting on a park bench, his head in his hands, as he listens to the music flowing gently through the September air. She smiles as she reaches out and takes his hand in hers. He looks up in surprise, and she whispers quietly,

"Dance with me."

"Rukia . . ."

She smiles again and tugs gently on his hand. She can see the uncertainty in his eyes and hear it in his voice. And she wants to make him feel free, too.

"Please, just tonight, dance with me."

Finally, he lets a ghost of a smile filter across his face as he stands to his feet and grips her small hand tightly in his.

"I'm not sure how to, but I'll try, OK?"

And she just nods and leads him over to the music in the middle of the beautiful park. Colorful leaves are splashed across all the trees, and the gentle wind that flows through them makes it seem like a sea of colors.

And it's a beautiful night as she shows him how to hold her and wraps her own arms around his neck.

_Just tonight, for just one time,  
Smile pretty as we dance along.  
I'll show you, I'll guide you gently,  
Just hold me tight and never let go._

He's a little clumsy at first and steps on her feet several times, but she shows him how to move and how to just let the music take control and guide him. As they dance, his grip around her waist tightens, and she lays her head on his chest.

And they both want it to last forever.

But it can't. _They_ can't. Nothing can. Everything comes to an end . . .

But he will do whatever he can possibly do to make her feel like she can dance forever, and maybe, just maybe, he can be there with her.

"Thanks," she whispers quietly as the music begins to slow. He nods and they continue dancing, never moving out of step. Each move they make they make together, and he finally closes his eyes and lets it flow through him.

And he feels free, too.

_Don't go, don't leave me all alone.  
Don't stop holding me tight.  
I'll try for you, I'll try forever,  
I'll try and follow your footsteps tonight._

_"Dance with me."_

He smiles as he remembers her soft, kind words. And he smiles as he kisses her hair softly and says,

"I'll dance with you forever."

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In case you couldn't tell, the two characters were Ichigo and Rukia.

**NOTE**: This is a **ONE-SHOT **collection, and as such, I will be updating once a week or more. :D

**Please Review!**


	2. Until The End

This is sort of sad, I guess. :D It is Renji's POV, for those who can't pick it up.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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Until The End

She doesn't love me. Never has, never will. She loves _him_, and I used to hate him for it. I blamed him as the reason that she never loved me. I blamed him because he dropped into her life and completely took her from me. Even when I came back, she didn't talk to me like I was a friend; she talked to me like someone who had tried to kill a man she loved.

And I wish I had.

Sometimes, I wish I had killed that man. If he had been dead, though, he would have never saved Rukia. And she would be dead, too, and she wouldn't be alive today for me to love, even if she doesn't love me back.

Then, after we had taken her back and locked her up, when I told Rukia that Ichigo was in Soul Society, it broke my heart to see the look of pure happiness and hope on her face, even if just for a second. She hadn't looked that way at me the who time I had visited her. She hadn't looked at me like than when I had visited her before, either. She hadn't looked at me like that all week.

But the glow in her eyes was enough to make me nearly want to run from the room.

So I did.

I think the time I stopped hating him was when he was training. I was with him, down in the underground training room that Urahara and Yoruichi had built years and years ago. When I told him that Rukia was going to be killed the very next day, the look in his eyes as he vowed to finish in that time if he had to completely changed my perspective. What I saw in his eyes scared me. The look of determination made me want to back away from him. His whole body was radiating with such determination and anger; I knew he loved her, too.

It's always been like that with them. When Captain Kuchiki had nearly killed Ichigo, Rukia would have added over twenty years to her sentence if she had run to him, but she had said she didn't care. She didn't care.

But she did. She cared about _him_, not about what happened to her. She cared so much that she was actually nearly crying, which I had rarely ever seen her do in the many, many years I had known her, as she told Ichigo not to follow her, or she would never forgive him. She cared about him so much that she had forbade him to come, even though she knew she would probably die.

I saw it in her eyes and I saw it in his.

And when he threw her down from the Sōkyoku, something I don't think she ever forgave him for, he told me to protect her with my life.

And even though I couldn't see the look on his face, I heard it in his voice.

He wanted to be the one to protect her, to run away with her, but he knew he couldn't; he had to protect her by fighting someone no one else could win.

Byakuya Kuchiki.

He had fought him with every last breath, and some of it was for his pride, but most of the reason he fought was to protect her. When we train now, when he removes his shirt after training, I see the scars all over his body. They are huge and they're many. But the most noticeable ones are from where Senbonzakura had cut his body in a million places. The scars are small, and will fade in time, but they are scattered all over his chest and back. And when I asked him how come he doesn't try and hide his scars, he had said,

"Because I gained them protecting someone who means the world to me."

And that was the closest he had ever gotten to telling me that he loved her.

But now . . . I don't hate him anymore. I hate _myself_ as I watch him struggling for another breath. He is laying out on the floor, his orange hair sweaty and clinging to the side of his head. Light filters in through the windows and lights up the whole room, but I watch from the shadows.

Rukia is sitting at his side, holding his hand tightly in hers as she tries to hold back tears.

And I hate myself for hating him. He had done nothing but gain Rukia's love, and I hated him for it. I love her, too, but . . .

As I watch them, I would give anything to go back in time and try to stop this. But it can't be stopped, I don't think. It was fate that brought him here, and there's nothing I can do about it.

But I wish I could.

But he's dying. He contracted a terrible illness a few months back, and he's dying.

And she is with him until the end.

I watch from the shadows as he reaches up a thin, pale hand and places it on her cheek. He whispers,

"Please, you don't have to cry for me."

I hadn't realized that she had started crying. I hadn't realized that it was breaking her so hard inside.

"Love ya."

I watched as Rukia's tears came faster as she whispered the words back to him before pressing a fleeting kiss to his lips.

"Stay with me, Rukia," Ichigo whispers.

She holds back a sob as she says, just as quietly,

"Until the end."

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Well, what did you think? _(Pushes review button close to reviewers . . . and readers who _don't_ review)_ Please leave your thoughts? Would it help if I beg and hand out free cookies?

**Please Review!**


	3. Love Me More

Don't _quite_ know where this came from. :P Anyway, I think it's cute, and I will probably end up doing a follow-up sometime in the future. Maybe not; I'm happy with it.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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Love Me More

"Daddy?"

Ichigo turned around to see his three-year-old girl jumping up and down beside him. He reached down, picking her up in his arms; her bouncing didn't stop. Her violet eyes glowed happily as her raven hair swirled around her small face, and Ichigo kissed her on the forehead, causing her to reach her small hands up and run her fingers over her forehead, searching for something as if the kiss were actually visible.

"Yeah, Rion?" he asked.

"Daddy, tell me 'bout mama!"

Ichigo let a sad smile filter across his face as he sat down on his couch and set Rion in his arms. She was still smiling brightly, and her light pink, fluffy dress ruffled as she crossed her legs.

"You want to know about mommy?" Ichigo asked, his voice quiet. Rion nodded, sticking her fingers in her mouth.

"Yeah ... I wants to know 'bout mama!"

"Your mama was very pretty; she looked exactly like you. Her hair was beautiful and her eyes spoke everything she was feeling. She was a midget, but I loved her a lot."

"This much?" Rion asked, spreading her small arms as wide as she could. Ichigo shook his head.

"I loved her more than the world."

"Wow! Thats a lot!" she said, her eyes wide as she stared up at him.

"Yeah, it is," Ichigo said, ruffling her hair as he picked her up in his arms again and led her over to the fireplace. On the mantle stood a single photograph. In the photo, Ichigo was smiling, holding Rukia in his arms. She was smiling wide, and in _her_ arms, she was holding a tiny baby; Rion. "Look baby, that's mommy, and that's you."

"I was ittsy bitsy!" Rion said, reaching out to grip the photo. "Daddy, where did mama go?"

"Mommy went far away, baby. She went away."

He repeated the last line slowly and quietly. Then, Rion said, nearly crying,

"Did mama not love me? Is that why she left?"

Ichigo shook his head quickly.

"No, Rion. Mommy loved you _so_ much, she would have given the world and more for you. She loved you more than I can ever tell you, and I'm sure she still does."

"Then why did she leave?" Rion asked, still staring at the photo.

"Mommy didn't have a choice. She had to go away to keep me and you safe."

"Will she come back?"

Rion still hadn't looked away from the picture. Her violet eyes were staring right into Rukia's, and her hands soon began shaking. She said, tears threatening to spill over, "I want mama to come back!"

Ichigo hugged her to his chest tightly, his hand rubbing her back slowly in a calming motion. He said, "I know, Rion, I know. I want mommy back, too."

Rion had started crying now. Her small body shook with sobs as she gripped the picture tightly. Ichigo tried to take it out of her grasp, but she squealed and hugged it tighter to her chest. It nearly made him cry, seeing the look of pain on Rion's face, but he held it in; he had to be strong for his baby girl.

"Rion, how about we say a prayer for mommy?"

Ichigo didn't normally pray, but he had been taking Rion to Sunday school every week for a few months now so she could make friends, and she liked to pray when she was scared or sad.

She pulled her head away from his chest and nodded, and soon, she was kneeling on her knees beside the couch, Ichigo beside her as she clasped her tiny fingers tightly together. He placed his hand on her back as she sobbed and said,

"Dear God, I pray that you keep mama safe, and I pray that she comes back. I love mama and daddy does, too, and we miss her. Could you tell her that, pwease? Could you tell her that I love her?"

Ichigo felt himself taking a deep breath to keep himself from crying like Rion as she continued, her tiny voice filtering over them both.

"I pray that you protect her, 'cause I wanna see mama again and I want her to sing to me, like she used to. Amen."

Ichigo picked Rion up in his arms and hugged her tightly as she buried her head in his chest.

"Daddy? Do you love mommy more than you love me?"

"No, silly. I love you both the same, OK?"

Rion nodded, not noticing that Ichigo was on the verge of tears, too. She closed her eyes and yawned, the picture of her, Ichigo and Rukia still tightly grasped in her tiny fingers. She was soon sleeping, and Ichigo walked her into her bedroom, laying her gently down on the bed. He didn't even try and take the picture out of her fingers; she wanted to keep it, so why shouldn't she? It was one of the only memories that Rion had left of her mommy, and he would give her that.

As he walked out of the room, he felt a breeze flow past him. Looking around, he realized that all the windows were closed against the cold November air.

And he smiled.

She would come home.

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Hmm ... Well, I, personally, liked that. What about _you_ though? Hmm? Should I do a follow-up?

**Please Review!**


	4. Standing Alone

Maaan, if I don't stop writing, this will become a story a day, too! Bah. Ah, well. Anyway, I love this one, personally.

Please enjoy and review!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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Standing Alone

It had just been one of those days. Rukia had beating up on Ichigo, this time using her empty lunch box, when she had seen the sign for 'Ice Skating'. Naturally, she had bugged Ichigo to tell her about it until he nearly wrapped his hands around her thin neck and strangled her. But, to her, it sounded interesting, and immediately wanted to try it.

So, that was where they were now.

Rukia was sitting on one of the benches inside of the skating rink, fighting with her skates.

And losing.

Badly.

Frustrated, she finally yelled, "How do I get this ... this _thing_ on my foot?!"

Ichigo smirked as he reached over and took the skate from her. She turned around on the bench to where she was directly facing him, sat back a little, and placed her feet in his lap, demanding with a serious look on her face,

"Put them on."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, but loosened the strings on the skates and fit the first one onto her foot. The strings, which were way too long, he used to tie the shoe tightly around her ankle. After he had finished with the first skate, he lowered her foot to the ground and took her other foot and did it, too. Once they were firmly tied to her feet, he let her stand up, but she nearly fell over and immediately grabbed onto his arm, a frightened look on her face as she tried to put one foot in front of the other.

"Here, hold my hand so you don't fall, dope," Ichigo said, letting her clasp his hand tightly. He noticed that she was gripping so hard that her knuckles had turned white.

They walked, slowly, into the cold, frozen skating room, and Rukia's eyes went wide at the temperature. She hadn't realized she would need to bring a coat.

Ichigo, noting her pink ears and nose right away, took off his hat and stuck it on her head. He then handed her the extra pair of gloves he had brought. She took them and put them on her hands before shakily stepping out onto the ice. She fell over before she had taken two steps. Ichigo stepped out beside her and offered his hand, which she accepted gladly.

"This is harder than I thought," she said, not letting go of his arm, which she was gripping for support, as she struggled to take a few steps on the slick ice.

"Duh. I told you it would be," Ichigo said, watching her as she stared intently at her shoes. She slipped several time and nearly fell to the ground, but Ichigo caught her each time and helped her stand straight.

Finally, she managed to lose her footing so badly that she fell onto the ice and took Ichigo with her. He rubbed his sore arm as he climbed back to his feet and took the back of her sweater, easily lifting her whole body up as she regained her balance.

"Dope," was all he said. Rukia glared at him and reached back, kicking him.

Which, she realized immediately, was a bad idea when you're wearing ice skates.

Ichigo hissed loudly as her skate cut into his skin. She realized what she had done and put her hands over her mouth as Ichigo stumbled and fell onto the ice, his warm, red blood dripping down the legs of his pants and falling onto the frozen ice. It spread out beneath him in a small pool as he lifted his jeans away to inspect the cut.

"Idiot! That hurt!" he said, wincing as he poked the cut open with his fingers to see how deep it had gone.

Rukia's eyes were wide, and tears began to prickle at the edges of her vision as she sat down beside him and reached out a shaking hand to touch the cut. Ichigo winced and pulled his leg away.

"Don't touch it, it hurts enough without you poking it," he said, preparing to give her a glare, but the look in his eyes stopped him. "Hey, Rukia ... why are you crying?"

"I - I'm sorry, Ichigo. I didn't mean to. I didn't, I mean - "

She was stuttering, and her hands were shaking as she stared at the blood that was now soaking his jeans.

"Come on, Rukia. This isn't like you. I've bleed a lot before; you've never acted like this," he said, frowning and waving off a young man who came over to ask if he needed help. "You've seen me bleed before and never made a big deal out of it."

"I know, but ... I just ... I - I never caused it, and you, you shouldn't have to bleed for me," she whispered, reaching out her hand to begin healing him. But he grabbed her by the wrist, suddenly understanding the look of pain and anguish he had seen in her eyes. He held her hand roughly in his, and didn't let her go.

"Rukia, look at me._ Look_."

She turned to where she was facing him, and bit back a sob as her violet eyes searched his.

"That wasn't your fault. Nothing that happened then was your fault. I _choose_ to follow you and I _choose_ to fight for your sake."

"But you were hurt; you bled for me, and it was my fault, and now I've hurt you again."

Ichigo could hear the pain in her voice as she spoke, and he knew that what had happened today wasn't what was forcing those tears to the surface. Everything that had happened only six weeks ago was still clear in her mind, and the pain of seeing him hurt and bleeding was still freash in her heart. He pulled her down to his level, ignoring all the weird looks they were getting from everyone, and looked straight into her face as he spoke.

"Rukia, look into my eyes."

She tried not to; she looked anywhere but at him, but his gentle persistence finally made her turn her gaze to his.

"I did that all for you. I did it on my own, and I came to help you even though you didn't want me to. That _was not_ your fault. And ... if I hadn't done that, you wouldn't be here today. I honestly don't care about this," he said, pointing to his leg. "I just don't want it to hurt you. My dad could take care of this in seconds, and it shouldn't be a reminder of what happened in the past. The past is the past, and we need to move on."

"But I -"

Ichigo cut her off again.

"Move on, Rukia."

His brown eyes looked through her tears and seemed to penetrate her very soul.

"I did that for you, and for no one else. I followed you because I _wanted_ to save you. Blood was spilled and tears were cried, but it is all the past. When I bleed, it shouldn't be a reminder of what happened before. Now, yeah, ya hurt me, dope, but I'll be fine. Don't cry over me, OK?"

Rukia nodded and then Ichigo let go of her hand. She lowered it to his leg and quickly healed him, not letting it be seen by anyone. But, when she was done, she didn't stand to her feet again. Instead, she fingered the small, almost invisible scar that had remained from her healing.

"Can I hold your hand again?" she asked quietly, her voice a gentle whisper.

Ichigo nodded and stood to his feet, helping Rukia up and then taking her hand in his own. There was a little bit of blood left on the ice, and they were _still_ getting weird looks from the other skaters, but he didn't care. And, as he watched her walk along and slip on the ice every now and then, he watched as Rukia's pain slowly evaporated and was replaced by the happiness and wonder she radiated with as she finally stood on her own.

She could stand alone now, but he would still hold her hand if she would let him.

And he would be there to catch her when she fell.

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Well, what do _you_ think? _(Pokes reviewers and readers) _PLEASE review? It only takes a second and I would love to hear your thoughts, good bad or ugly. :D But flames _will_ be ignored unless they have a point.

**Please Review!**


	5. Second Chance

Hello! Me again! I decided to write something else and stick it up in here. **My Christmas story! **Yayness! It is AU, for a heads up, so don't be surprised!

I hope everyone likes it; I worked hard on it, and personally, I liked it. :D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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**A Second Chance**

Ichigo Kurosaki sighed and ran a hand over his face, looking tiredly around the ER he worked in. It was Christmas Eve, and, as always, the ER was packed. There were people who had slipped on the ice in either cars or on their feet in the hurry to get some last minute shopping in and children who had cut themselves on tape-cutting utensils; people who had gotten into fights while doing their last minute shopping, and the people who would do anything not too be alone on the streets for the holidays.

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo turned around to see Rukia Kuchiki standing by him, holding her clip-board tightly to her chest. He smiled an encouraging smile and tried to wipe the tiredness out of his eyes as he stood to his feet.

"What is it, Rukia?" he asked, yawning. He had been on shift for almost fourteen hours now.

"There is a patient in curtain three that I would like to look at. She came in with a cold, but I'm worried about hypothermia."

Ichigo nodded and took the chart from Rukia as she led him to where the young girl sat.

He had known Rukia for almost two months; ever since she had transfered here. When he had first met her, she came barreling up to him and knocked him over. She had been holding a injured girl in her arms; it turned out that that girl was Ichigo's sister, Yuzu, and Rukia had saved her from death.

Ichigo smiled at the memory as he opened the curtain surrounding the bed that the little girl was laying on. She was coughing deeply and her small cheeks were bright pink. Ichigo sat down beside her.

"Hey there, little one. What's your name?"

She looked up at him, her big blue eyes wide.

"Ise," she said.

Ichigo nodded.

"Well, Ise, would it be OK if I put this," Ichigo held up his stethoscope, "up against your back so I can listen to you breathe?"

She nodded and Ichigo stood to his feet, pulling the back of the little girl's shirt and listened intently to her breathing. He then stood to his feet and handed the chart back to Rukia.

"Give her some medication for her cough and send for an x-ray of her lungs, alright?"

Rukia nodded and Ichigo walked off, sighing. He wanted to sleep, but he didn't want to go home. Like most of the doctors and nurses working tonight, he didn't have anyone to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with. He was alone in life. At twenty-six, he had no wife or children and his father and sisters were away for the holiday. He hated being alone.

He was about to retire to the doctors' lounge when he heard his name being softly called. Frowning, he looked around, trying to see who the small, quiet voice belonged to.

"Mr. Ichigo."

There it was again.

Ichigo's eyes widened when he saw the small girl hiding behind the medicine rack. He walked over and bent down beside her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, Keli, what are you doing here?"

"Mr. Ichigo, please, you have to help mommy! Please! She's sick!"

The small child, who could have been no more than four and had been in the ER a week and a half ago, was frantic and her brown eyes were overfowing with tears.

"Calm down, Keli. I'll send an ambulance to your house right away," Ichigo said, trying to calm the child as she shook violently in his arms.

"No! Only you, please, no one else. Mommy said so!"

"I'll come, I'll come. Just calm down. But I have to bring someone with me; I'll need help, OK? Just one person."

Keli nodded, but didn't stop crying as Ichigo hoisted her up into his arms and walked quickly out into the main area of the ER. He would bring Rukia with him. He knew her well, and she was a good nurse and was kind to children.

Ichigo found her quickly; she was taking care of an older man when he asked to speak to her. She let the other nurse take over and walked out, raising an eyebrow at him.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Come on, we have to hurry. Keli's mom is in trouble," he said, taking her hand and hauling her out of the ER and into the cold snow. He continued, "She's sick and Keli said that her mom doesn't want anyone else helping her but me. C'mon, we have to hurry."

Rukia nodded and climbed into the car that Ichigo reveled to be his own. After putting Keli in the back, Ichigo took directions from the small child and drove a little faster on the ice than he should have. Rukia was gripping the arm rest tightly, and as Keli had Ichigo pull up to a small, brown house, she quickly climbed out of the car.

Ichigo grabbed both Keli and his bag from the back of the car. Keli was still crying, and as they neared the house, Ichigo found the door open. He quickly walked inside, and Keli showed him into the bedroom; on the bed was a middle-aged woman, her black hair spread out around her head, sticking to her face with sweat.

"God, she's in labor," Ichigo said, running over to her side and quickly checking over a few things before trying to get a response out of her. "Nothing. Rukia! Help me!"

Rukia ran over and checked over the woman's vitals.

"The baby's crowning! Ms. Takashi, can you hear me?"

The woman gave a faint nod before her eyes closed again. Ichigo could see she was on the verge of passing out.

Keli, who was standing beside the bed, was still in tears and her pink jumper was stained with the blood that seemed to be everywhere.

"Ms. Takashi, you're about to give birth, but I don't know if we can get the baby out without harming you. You've already lost a lot of blood; it looks like you must have hit hard against something. You're bleeding internally, and I can't stop it until the baby is out; it could be too late for you by then."

"Please . . . save my baby, I d-don't care a-about me . . ." she managed to say, having to push the words past clenched teeth.

Ichigo nodded.

"Right."

"But, Ichigo, she needs - "

Ichigo didn't stop working as he looked up at Rukia. The look on his face was intense and serious.

"Rukia, there is nothing we can do for her until the baby is out. We can't transfuse blood because we're not in the hospital, and the more time we waste, the less chance of life this baby has. It's now or never. _Help_ me, or get Keli out of here and leave. _Now_."

Rukia bit her lip, then nodded, walking over as she began to help Ichigo.

"Mommy! No, mommy!"

The loud, childish sobs coming from Keli brought tears to Rukia's eyes as she cut the cord of the baby ten minutes later. She quickly wrapped the newborn baby boy up in soft towels and looked over at Keli, who was hugging her mother around the neck tightly.

"I'll call for help," Ichigo said, quickly checking he IV he had set up before running out of the room.

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Rukia could feel the tears slipping from her eyes and could see the small, wet spots that they made on the soft, white blanket that baby Tres was wrapped up in. The name was what the mother had wanted to give her son, according to Keli. But she was gone. By the time help had arrived, there was nothing they could do, and it had broken Rukia's heart to see the tiny girl being hauled away from her mother, blood staining her whole body and her eyes screaming out in pain and sadness as she tried to reach back out for the woman who would never come back to life.

"Death happens everyday. We have to accept it and move on."

Rukia looked up from staring at the small child and turned to see Ichigo, leaning up against the wall in the NICU. Baby Tres was healthy, but had been born a month early, so he had been sent up here and Rukia had been sent to watch over him.

"Where will they live?" she asked quietly, smiling through her tears as Tres grabbed her finger tightly in his small hand. His eyes were open, and she could see that they were the biggest, most beautiful amber colored eyes in the world. He was smiling. He was a fighter.

"I don't know. But for tonight, and tomorrow, Keli and Tres are under our care. We can take care of them and love them like they should be loved, even if it just for a short time while they're here."

"He was born on Christmas. He's a Christmas baby, and he doesn't have a mother or father to share it with," she said sadly, reaching in the baby's crib to gently hold him in her arms. Ichigo smiled as he walked over.

"He can have us."

"Christmas is supposed to be the time of giving, not death and sadness," she whispered, letting her fingers dance over Tres's small face and his soft, black hair. The baby began cooing.

"His mother gave him life. She had a choice. If she had waited to give birth, she might have made it. But every second she was giving herself life, she was taking from his. She gave him life, and she made a choice," Ichigo said, the smile dropping from his face as he reached over and wiped tears from Rukia's eyes. "She gave him life, and she gave him the most precious gift of all. She gave him a chance. And we have to make sure he gets the best start on that as we can give him."

"But when he leaves . . . "

Ichigo let his hand cup her face gently, and the pad of his thumb stroke her cheek.

"When he leaves, he's on his own. He's a fighter. He's a Christmas baby, and he'll give the world what his mom gave him. A second chance."

Rukia nodded, her gaze falling, once again, to the baby in her arms.

"A second chance." She smiled. Then, looking outside of the small window, she said softly, "Hey, Ichigo, it's snowing."

"I hate the rain. Always have," Ichigo murmured, letting his hand fall back to his side as he watched Rukia with Tres. "But the snow always makes me turn those feelings around. In a way . . . it's like the snow is giving the rain, which I hate so much, a second chance, too."

Rukia nodded; her tears had stopped. She had no more to cry.

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AU? Why yees! Anyway, fluff, drama and angst all wrapped up together and stuffed into a computer screen. Please leave comments; I would LOVE to know what people think of my story. _**(Hugs reviewers and gives them cookies)**_

**Please Review!**


	6. Firefly

Weeell ... I know fireflies are SO overdone, but I had this half written out for months, and finally finished it. :D And since I have my last story for A Story A Day already ready to go, I decided to post it in here.

Anyway, it's cute and fluff ... and _fluff_ ... kill me now ...

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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**FireFly**

"Ichigo, what's that?" Rukia asked, pointing her thin hand toward the brief flash of light in the ever-darkening sky. Ichigo looked over from staring at the stars and smiled slightly as he followed Rukia's gaze.

"Firefly," he said simply, putting his hands behind his head as he watched Rukia stand to her feet. She smoothed out her jean mini-skirt and walked forward, trying to grab the firefly in her hand. It flew away without an effort, leaving her to run after it in the night air. Ichigo shook his head and continued to watch her as she tried to catch the firefly again and again.

It was a beautiful night. The moon was full, casting an eerie glow across the grass and lighting up their surroundings ever-so-slightly. The stars, which had just started coming out, were filling the beautiful sky and the fireflies were adding to the light by glowing for a second before their light went out, smothered out by the darkness.

It used to bother him that they ever stopped glowing; his mother had said that something beautiful should never stop being beautiful.

So ... why did the fireflies stop?

"Help me."

Ichigo turned his head to the voice and smirked when he saw the slightly annoyed look on Rukia's face. She was standing beside him, her hands on her hips and her face set in determination. Her raven hair was blowing in the wind, and her intense violet eyes were pierceing into his.

"Fine. What do ya need help with, dope?" he asked, sitting up. Rukia kicked him in the arm before saying,

"I want to catch one of these 'Fireflies'. Help me."

Ichigo shrugged and stood to his feet.

"Ya know, we should be getting back soon. You have no idea what kind of ideas my dad is probably cooking up about us being out past dark."

"Who cares? The fireflies are beautiful and I want one," she said, reaching out to grab another one; it flew away as she sighed in annoyance.

"You can't keep them forever," Ichigo said, reaching out and carefully taking one of the fireflies out of the air. Rukia's eyes went wide as he cupped her hands in his. He carefully prodded her hands open, and let the firefly into her slim fingers. She gasped as she stuck her eys up to a small hole she had made in her hands to see the firefly glow. But it didn't.

"Ichigo, why isn't it glowing?" she asked, opening her hands up. The firefly flew away into the night.

"Stupid, you let it go," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he watched the firefly fly out of sight.

"Because it wouldn't glow," she said, reaching out to try and grab another one. She failed at least five more times before Ichigo stood behind her and took her hands into his.

"Ya can't grab wildely at them. Be quiet; gentle. You have to go slow," he said, fitting her hands in his so when he moved his fingers, hers would move, too. Then, he slowly moved her hands to grab a nearby firefly. "See?" he said quietly. He found himself smiling at the look of pure happiness on Rukia's face as she watched the small firefly glow up in her hands.

"It's beautiful," she said, the light from the firefly reflecting in her eyes as she stared in wonder at it.

"Yeah ... but it won't last forever. It's light will someday die ... although something beautiful should stay forever."

Rukia looked over at Ichigo, an amused look on her face. Ichigo noted the look and smirked, saying,

"My mom told me that. I used to catch fireflies with her all the time."

"Ah," Rukia said simply, opening her hands to let the firefly go again.

"Why'd you do that?" Ichigo asked, frowning as he watched the firefly blink a few times before dissapearing for good.

"Because something that beautiful shouldn't be kept trapped. It should be free." Then, as an afterthought, she added, "Can I call it Chappy?"

"What? The firefly?" Ichigo asked, staring up at the moon. Rukia nodded and Ichigo shrugged. "Doesn't matter," he said, sighing as he watched the fireflies continue to light up the sky. They only lit up for a second, then it was gone. If you wanted to catch one, you would have to follow it everywhere; you had to really, really want to catch it. It had to be something you wanted to do on your own, or else you wouldn't be able to do it.

Something beautiful shouldn't be locked up or trapped. It should be free ...

Ichigo smiled.

The fireflies were ... just like Rukia.

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_(Cries)_ I told myself I was going to write something sad ... I wanted to ... I NEED to ...

**Please Review!**


	7. Leavin' Town

Hmm ... just read it to find out what it's about!!

**Song by: **Bryan Adams

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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Leavin' Town

I clearly remember the day I left. It was raining, pouring, and the weather was freezing cold. I was drenched; I didn't want to go, and I found that standing out in the rain was the easiest way to put it off. I kept hoping he would come and stop me; but I knew it was stupid. He knew just as well as I did that I had to go. There was no way I could stay ... but still ...

With the rain pouring down onto me, I turned and took a deep shuddering breath in. I wouldn't cry; I _wouldn't_. I was stronger than this, I knew I was.

Then why did I feel like something inside me was dying?

I shook my head and was about to walk through the gate when I heard hard, pounding footsteps behind me. My heart sped up and I turned around to see him, his hands on his knees as he took in deep breath after deep breath. His hair was matted down to his head, and his clothes were soaked through. When he looked up at me, his eyes met mine and I felt like I needed to look away.

So I did.

"Wait ... " he panted, still trying to catch his breath. "Wait."

_Here I am, this is me,  
__there's nowhere else on Earth I'd rather be.  
__Here I am, just me and you,  
__Tonight we'll make our dreams come true._

"I-Ichigo?" I asked shakily, taking a step toward him, as if not believing he was actually there. The rain was still pouring down, and it beat down upon them faster and faster as the wind picked up and the rain became heavier. I could barely even hear my own quiet voice, and as he finally stood up straight, the water began flowing down his bright orange hair. It dripped off the end of his nose, and he kept giving his head a small shake to knock water out of his eyes and mouth.

"Wait ... don't go yet," he said, not moving from his spot in the rain as he watched me slowly come closer.

I bit my lip as I wrapped my arms around my stomach and stared at the ground. While I had hoped that he would come, I hadn't actually wanted him to.

Because it made leaving only that much harder.

_It's a new world, it's a new start,  
__It's alive with the beating of your heart.  
__It's a new day, it's a new plan.  
__I've been waiting for you ... here I am._

"Why did you come?" I asked, my voice shaking as well as my body. The harsh, unforgiving rain wasn't letting up.

"I-I thought not saying goodbye would be easier ... but I can't do it. I can't let you leave without saying goodbye," he said, his voice softer than I had ever heard it. "I needed to tell you something ... _need_, not needed."

I let my violet eyes wander up to his, and a small smile came to my face as I watched him. His hair was completely soaked and the small pout on his face made me almost want to laugh. But not quite.

"Don't," I said slowly, biting my lip a little harder. "Please, don't make this harder. I can't stay ... " I trailed off, and, with a tear slowly slipping down my cheek, I lied, "I don't want to stay."

"Rukia, don't say that," he said, his fists clenching ever-so-slightly at his sides. I was actually glad for the rain, for once, because it hid the tears I so despertely wanted to keep inside. But he could see my pain; he walked forward and pulled me gently in his arms.

He had never touched me like this, and I stiffened in his embrace as he slowly ran a hand up and down my back. But soon I began to relax and let my tears fall.

_Here we are, we've just begun,  
__and after all this time, our time has come.  
__Here we are, still going strong,  
__right here in the place where we belong._

He just held me, not speaking, as I cried. The darkness enveloped us, covering us in it's shadows; as if we didn't exist. He finally spoke. Soft, quiet words reached my ears and only made me cry harder.

"I Love ya, Rukia."

We'd been dancing around saying that for the time we had been together; four months. Then ... I had to leave. I had to leave him, and unless he had come and stopped me at that moment, I wouldn't have ever been able to tell him the same.

I couldn't force the same words out past my sobs. I didn't understand why I was crying. I didn't understand why I felt this way, or why he wasn't acting like his usual self. He was acting different. He hadn't called me an idiot or stupid. He hadn't called me a midget or smirked down at me about my height.

He just held me and whispered those three words over and over again. And finally ... I told him how I felt.

"I love you, too, Ichigo. But I have to leave ... I have to ... "

"Just come back. Alright?" he asked, pulling back and wiping the remainder of my tears. Then, smirking, he added, "Dope."

I let out a small laugh. The old Ichigo was showing through again. I kicked him for good measure before I stood away from his embrace. I said softly,

"I always do."

He just smiled.

_It's a new world, it's a new start,  
__It's alive with the beating of your heart.  
__It's a new day, it's a new plan.  
__I've been waiting for you ... here I am._

I walked through the gate back to Soul Society.

And I had never gone back; it's been about three years now. And I know he's still waiting. He's waiting for me, and someday ... someday, I'll go back without leavin' town.

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**GAH!** Know what? This is VERY likely to become a story a day! I have had this up for seven days, and it has seven stories. _(Pouts) _And ... why did I write this? I think I just like writing stuff where Rukia leaves because it is so fun and emotion to put down into words. :D I must have written at least five-six-seven stories where she leaves. :P It's just soo fun!

And were my last two stories actually _that_ boring? Firefly only got like ... 5 reviews. And I know that's plenty, but my other ones got more. Was Firefly boring?

**Please Review!**


	8. Tampons

This one came to me when one of my friends was whining about having to shop for his girlfriend. It was funny. Anyway, I hope everyone likes this one! This one is a lot more lighthearted than most, so beware!

**And sorry!** I thought I would be updating this more often, but as it turns out, I don't quite have the time. But I promise I will write/update as much as possible and ASAP!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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**Tampons**

"Got a girlfriend, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo turned around so fast he made his head spin. Glaring at the red-headed man standing behind him, he blushed the same shade of red as Renji's hair and turned back around, his eyes scanning the shelves for the item that must have made Renji suspect he had a girlfriend.

He said firmly, "No."

"Ah. Is it Inoue?

" 'It is Inoue 'what?" Ichigo asked, ducking out of sight as another man walked along the aisle.

"Your girlfriend."

"I just said I didn't have a girlfriend!" Ichigo sputtered. Renji smirked.

"Uh huh. Is it that Tatsaki girl?"

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"Is it ... um ... actually, you don't know may girls, do you?"

"Renji, shut up. By the way, what the hell are _you_ doing in the tampon aisle?" Ichigo asked, raising his eyebrows at him. Renji shrugged. He said something along the lines of 'Nothing' or 'Because I saw _you_ here', and Ichigo growled at him, letting his eyes wander back to the shelves and shelves of products.

"For ya mom?"

"My mom died when I was nine."

"Ah. Sorry."

Renji didn't speak for a few more minutes until he saw Ichigo reach out for a pack of the pads. He said,

"Well, if it's a girlfriend ... older girls, ya know, sixteen or so, prefer tampons. But if it's your sisters, get pads; little girls are uncomfortable wearing tampons."

"How would you know?" Ichigo asked, hiding behind Renji as he saw Ishida walk past him; this was probably the most common store in their town. Why had he come here again?

Well ... she hadn't threatened him like she usually did: I will vandalize your homework with bunnies. But, since they shared a bathroom, he knew she was out and he knew she needed them.

So ... yeah. _That_ was why he was there.

Renji said, in response to Ichigo's question,

"Because I've lived about a hundred and a half more years than you, that's why. And while Rukia was in our group when we were young ... "

He trailed off and shrugged. Ichigo scowled and put the pads back on the shelf and picked up the tampons.

"Ah ha! So it_ is _for a girlfriend!"

Ichigo growled loudly.

"I do _not_ have a girlfriend!" Then, realization dawned on him. "Did you say that tampon VS. pads thing just to know who I was buying them for?"

"No. But really ... your sisters are the only ones I would imagine you shopping for, especially for something like this. From what I gathered about Earth people, men never shop for these things for their girlfriends."

"Renji, exactly what are you doing here in the first place?" Ichigo said between clenched teeth. If Renji said 'Girlfriend' one more time, he was going to ...

"Can I meet your girlfriend?"

That was it!

Ichigo ground his teeth so hard together that you could hear them.

"For the record, these are for Rukia. She usually threatens my homework, so I decided to fore-go the -"

"Your homework?" Renji said, almost laughing.

"Shut up!"

"You're shopping for _Rukia_?"

Ichigo glared at Renji and was all too aware of the blush rising to his cheeks.

"Yes. Want to make something of it?"

"No. But this will be very interesting news to report back to the Soul Society."

"Renji ... " Ichigo said in a warning tone.

Renji laughed and walked out. And somehow, as he forgot the tampons and ran after Renji, Ichigo felt sorry for the homework he knew was going to be vandalized by bunnies.

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Utter ... insanity ... But I had fun. Hope you did, too!

**_Please Review!_**


	9. Letting Go

Not sad, not fluff ... just something that might make you smile.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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**Letting Go**

She would never do it, she always tells herself. She would never touch that rope and grab a hold of it with her two small hands. She would never jump from that amazing height and fall into the beautiful, sparkling water. She would never do that, because she's afraid.

She really is. She watches them do it, though. They do it without a thought, but he does it most easily of all. His orange hair is shining in the sunlight as he grabs the rope with his strong capable hands and walks a few feet back before running and jumping off of the cliff, letting himself fly forward several feet before letting go and dropping into the water twenty feet below him. He breaks into the water perfectly and she holds her breath until he comes up; she's afraid that one day he will never resurface.

But he always does. He comes up, spitting water out of his mouth and smirking in his boyish way. She always smiles, and she doesn't know why. But whenever he comes up, he always looks straight into her eyes, and_ that_ is what makes her smile. It's as if he knows she worries until he comes back up. It's as if he knows what she's afraid of.

And one day, she almost jumped. She was standing on the cliff, him beside her, and she was holding the rope. Her pale skin was shimmering in the sunlight as her light purple two-piece swimsuit hugged her body gently.

"Just jump," he said gently, placing his hand over hers. She shook her head, biting her soft pink lip.

"I can't."

And it's the truth. She can't because she's afraid.

"Next time, then."

They come often. She comes with his family and sometimes their friends, but they always come. Every summers end, she always cries because she couldn't do it, and she's afraid that she'll never get another chance. She doesn't know why it means so much to her ... it just does.

And this is the last time.

She stands on the cliff's edge, the rope gripped tightly in her hands. He's standing beside her and the sun is beginning to go down. The beautiful colors cast from the sunset are painting the sky in reds and oranges, and he walks over and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"This is the last time. Please, do it. For me?"

"Will you catch me if I fall?"

He smiled.

"Yeah. I will. I promise."

She's still wearing the same swimsuit. After years and years, she still wears it. It fits her small body perfectly and clings to her skin gently without it being tight. And, like everything else, it's perfect.

And she lets go and fall into the water. Her body creates a small splash in the beautiful ripple caused by the wind, and he smiles from his spot above her.

She had let go.

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Hmm ... this came from a book my sister read. I forget the name, but I think it was called **Loosing Forever**. Anyway, the idea of the jumping rope came from that. But I came up with everything else; hope you like!

**_Please Review!_**


	10. No One Heard

Well ... this is sad. Hope you like it and I hope it can make you feel the emotion I put into it. :D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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**No One Heard**

"Are we going t-to die?"

Ichigo winced as another explosion hit overhead. Little bits of dirt and debris floated down and landed in his lap, and he felt a rather large piece of wood hit into his back as he leaned over Rukia to shield her small body from the falling chunks. He pulled away from her and tucked his coat around her shaking body.

"Someone will come," he said, fighting to keep the shaking out of his own voice.

But no one would. They were half a mile underground in a bunker built hundreds of years ago. No one would find them; no one would care.

More explosions hit and more dirt and debris fell. The bunker was weakening. The wood holding the thousands of pounds of dirt was crumbling, and each explosion sent more and more tumbling down onto them.

"Why l-like t-this?"

The shaking in her voice wasn't from fear; it was from the deadly cold that had swept in hours ago. It was the below freezing temperatures and the cold that wouldn't escape to the surface.

"Why d-do we h-have to die like t-this?"

"We won't die," Ichigo said firmly, but the empty look in Rukia's eyes had begun to scare him. "We won't die. We can't die; the world needs us to fight for them, to keep them safe. This war ..." Ichigo trailed off.

This war ... it was a fight to keep the whole world safe. It was a fight against people they had once called friends. It was a fight against people who they had trusted; captains in their own world betraying them and forming armies of powerful beings called Arrancar. It was a fight for pride.

"I'm so tired ..."

Ichigo reached over and pulled Rukia closer to him. Her whole body was shaking violently and her breathing was slow and ragged. He could tell her body was giving out; she could barely move and her skin was freezing to the touch. Even his coat around her hadn't changed anything; she was freezing to death and he was, too. He didn't want to admit it; he wanted to get out of here alive.

"Someone will come," Ichigo said again, rubbing her arms to try and get some heat back into them. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, but Ichigo was making her open them again in only seconds. "No! Don't go to sleep, Rukia!"

She jerked up and Ichigo caught sight of the pain in her eyes.

_She was in pain_ ...

Her lips were blue with the cold and her pale skin was even more pale in the dim light encasing the small area they were sitting in. Another explosion hit overhead and Rukia shook visibly from the shock. Large pieces of wood fell down upon them and Ichigo threw his whole body over Rukia, wincing as the wood hit into his back. She was barely aware of what was happening, and when the wood stopped falling, Ichigo pulled back and sat up, taking her into his arms and holding her tightly.

_She was in pain_ ...

He said quietly, trying to keep the own emotional pain out of his voice, "Go to sleep, Rukia. It'll all be over when you wake up. Someone will come ..."

Rukia just gave a short nod of her head as she buried her face in his chest and gripped his shirt tightly in her frozen hands.

"Goodbye ... Ichi ... go ..."

She knew she was dying. She knew that as soon as she closed her eyes, she would never awaken again. Ichigo swallowed all of his pride and gripped her tighter to his chest.

"Love ya, Rukia."

"Love you ..."

She didn't finished her sentence as her voice trailed off. Ichigo looked down; her chest wasn't rising and falling with breath anymore.

_She was gone ..._

"God, no ... "

And, as explosions sounded overhead, the screams of the dying weren't heard. Everything was silent as the world fought for their freedom. Even in the worst and most terrible time of all, silence took over the ears of those fighting. They heard nothing ... they didn't hear the screams of pain of the dying and the screams of determination of those who had lost a loved one.

And no one heard Ichigo as he screamed out and buried his head in Rukia's hair, his tears twinkling in the frozen air and his frozen hands grasping her body to his chest.

The world was silent, even in anguish and pain.

And no one heard.

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Well ... Hmm ... what to say, what to say. I needed to write something sad, I had to, and this came and attacked me, so I wrote it down in ... 28 minutes.

**Please Review!**


	11. Ferris Wheel

Hmm ... well, this was a random bit of fluff that came to me, so I wrote it down, and right now, you are reading it. Or, actually, you're reading my author's notes. : P

Just continue to find out what happens!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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**Ferris Wheels**

"Ichigo! I don't want to do this; I don't like heights!" Rukia said worriedly, gripping the safety bar so tightly her knuckles turned white. Ichigo raised an eyebrow as she curled into a small ball beside him and gripped tightly to his arm as they rose further in the air.

"What? The great Rukia Kuchiki, who, might I remind you, rides on my back as I hop over very high buildings, is afraid of_ heights_?"

Rukia glared at him, but the glare was quickly replaced by a scared look as the Ferris Wheel moved them further in the air to allow more passengers on. She gripped his shirt more tightly in her hands, forgetting everything as she buried her head in his chest.

Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Come on, we're only fifty feet in the air; eighty tops."

Another glare.

"It'll be fun. Now, please sit down and grip the _safety bar_ instead of my _shirt_."

Rukia did as she was told, which surprised Ichigo even more.

"Wow. That was easy," he commented, which earned him a slap on the arm.

They moved again as the final pair of children jumped onto the ride and then they started climbing again. As they neared the top, Rukia's eyes went wide and she abandoned the safety bar to grip onto Ichigo again; he would catch her if she fell.

"Are we going to go upside down?" she asked frantically.

"No, Rukia, we will not go upside down."

"Why not?"

"Disappointed?"

"No! I don't _want_ to go upside down."

Ichigo watched her as she gripped the safety bar while they came to the very top of the Ferris Wheel. As she watched the whole amusement park below, some of the color seemed to return to her face and she looked anxiously at the world under her.

"I can see so far!" she said excitedly, leaning forward. Ichigo gripped the back of her sweater to keep her on her seat.

And he smiled.

As they began getting closer to the ground, Rukia twitched in her seat. She was finally relaxing a little, he noticed, and she was no longer pale. There was a happy glow in her eyes as they began to rise to the top again. Just a minute ago, when they had started out, she had been so scared she was gripping onto him.

It was the beauty of the land that stretched out miles beneath them. It was the beauty of the sunset that was casting pink and red colors all across the sky as it reflected in her eyes.

"Oh, wow ... Ichigo, look! I can see ... I can see so far ... "

This time, as they came to the top, she was smiling. He knew that they were getting weird looks from everyone on the Ferris Wheel, but for some reason, he didn't really care. She didn't either; she was too busy staring at everything her eyes could take in.

"Wow ... hey, Ichigo! Look! I can see your house!"

When Ichigo strained, he was sure that he, too, could see his house, which was less than a couple miles away. But it was hard to tell if it was the right house; they were all alike.

But it seemed right, so he agreed with her.

"Yeah. Ya can, can't you?"

She turned to him and grinned, bouncing excitedly in her seat as the Ferris wheel lowered again. They slowly climbed in the air, and this time, Rukia said,

"How far do you think it is to the end of the Earth?"

_Well, that was random. _

"Does Earth have an end? If you walked for a million years, all you would do is walk in circles," Ichigo said, a small blush rising to his cheeks when Rukia reached over in excitement and grabbed his hand in hers. She pointed out to the sky, still smiling.

"What's beyond the sky, Ichigo?"

"I dunno," Ichigo said, a look of concentration coming onto his face as he sighed. "I really ... don't know."

"Oh."

"What's with all the questions?"

She shrugged and was silent until they were at the top. But as they were about to go back down, the Ferris wheel stopped.

"Did it break?" Rukia asked anxiously. Ichigo laughed.

"Nah. They're just letting more people on. It could take a few minutes, so sit tight."

"Oh. OK."

Rukia watched the sunset and Ichigo watched her. The beautiful colors were being reflected in her eyes, and as she watched them with a smile on her face, Ichigo could swear he felt himself smiling, too.

"Ichigo ... I like this 'Ferris Wheel'. Can we come back?"

Ichigo smirked.

"Yeah. We can."

"Good."

Neither spoke again. When the Ferris Wheel started up again, Rukia watched happily as they went in circles. She would be the most excited when they reached the top, and she would silently point things to Ichigo that she saw from so far away. He would nod each time, only slightly annoyed. The glow of happiness in her eyes was enough to make him want to smile happily.

So ... he did.

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Fluff ... fluff ... fluff ... _(Continues to chant the word 'fluff' while looking around frantically for something resembling sanity)_

_**Please Review!**_


	12. Snapshot Memory

Hmm ... just a cute little nothing I wrote. I thought that it would be something different from my depressing stuff ... so here ya go. : D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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**Snapshot Memory**

"Ooh, Ichigo, can we do it?" Rukia asked, bouncing up and down happily. Ichigo coughed, accidentally spitting some of his slushie out of his nose; pervert mind in oveload. Shaking his head, he followed her gaze toward the photo booth. He raised his eyebrows.

"Why?"

" 'Cause."

"Please elaborate."

"Nuh uh."

Ichigo sighed, watching as Rukia happily skipped over to the photo booth and stuck her head inside. She 'Oooh'ed again and Ichigo rolled his eyes, sticking his hands in his pockets and looking up toward the sky. Rukia continued to inspect the photo booth before coming back to him, grabbing one of his hands out of his pockets, holding it tightly in both of hers, and hauling him over.

"How does it work?"

"A camera, genious."

"What's a camera?"

Ichigo was glad that his family was away at another part of the Carnival; they would be very surprised to see that Rukia-chan, the new, 'homeless' girl living with them, didn't know what the hell a camera was.

"It's a ... well, it does ... " Ichigo sighed and ran his hand through his hair, pausing to scratch his head. "Actually, I don't know quite how it works."

"Well, can we do it?"

"Do _what_?" he asked, groaning and letting his head drop when Rukia happily pointed inside the booth.

"Take pictures, dope. It says, '25 cents for 1, 1$ for 4'. What's that mean?"

"That I have to spend more money."

"Oh."

She didn't seem to care much. She took Ichigo by the hand again and hauled him inside the booth. When the first picture was taken, Ichigo's eyes were wide and he was about to fall over, onto Rukia, and said midget was yelling at him. The second picture, Rukia was sitting on his shoulders and making a weird face at the camera, her thumbs in her ears and her tongue hanging out. Ichigo's arms were crossed over his chest and he was pouting.

"Ichigo, smile!" Rukia said, hitting him over the head. "When I leave-" Her eyes widened and she stuttered, "I m-mean,_ if_ I leave ... I want you to smile."

_When I leave ..._

Ichigo smiled, though sadly, as a million thoughts raced through his head. Maybe ... maybe that was why Rukia had asked him to take her here today. Maybe that was why she had said, as she hauled him onto the merry-go-round hours ago, 'Time is short and memories are precious'. Maybe ... maybe that was why she wanted pictures.

Maybe she was leaving.

In the forth and final picture, Rukia had removed herself from his shoulders and was standing beside him, her black hair framing her face nicely and her bright violet eyes glowing.

And now, three years later, he didn't regreat that dollar spent. Well, two dollars, actually; he had wanted copies and the grouchy woman had _kindly _told him to fork over another dollar. But still ...

She had left, and those four pictures were the only memories he had left of her. He hadn't seen her again ... but he wanted to. He wanted to see her bright eyes glow happily again and her soft voice laugh as he grumbled, pretending to be annoyed, but not really.

"Ah, Rukia, why the hell won't you come back?"

Sighing, he put the pictures under his pillow and turned around to where he was facing the wall. He would wait for her ... because she would come back, like she always did.

But until then ... all he had of her was a snapshot memory.

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I had fun! Anyway ... whatcha think? Hmm? Hmm? Please, please, please, please tell me! And ...

**_Please Review!_**


	13. The One He Loves

Hmm ... well this just jumped up and bit me in the butt. Please forgive me. : P Hope you like it!

**NOTE: **This is from Kūkaku's POV while in chapter 181 in the manga. She's the fireworks lady who helped Ichigo and his friends. : D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters.

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**The One He Loves**

I didn't speak for a second as I watched her. She just stood there, her dress blowing slightly in the wind and her hair flowing softly around her face. I just stared at her, a rough look on my face as I tried not to show emotion. This was the girl ... no, _woman,_ that Ichigo had been trying so hard to save. The woman that he had bled for and who he would carry scars for for the rest of his life. This woman standing in front of me, whom I wanted to hate so badly because of what she had done to me ...

... Was the woman that _he_ loved.

There was such a look of pain on her face, such a look of deep, raw sorrow, that when she began to apologize, I turned around and muttered silently, "Enough."

She hadn't heard me, I guess, as she continued to speak. I twirled around and clobbered her over the head. That shut her up. As I slowly spoke the words that I had practiced a million times, I was no longer frowning. I could no longer hate this woman, because of her pain over what she had done to me, and over the guilt I knew she felt.

Then he showed up. He had been standing there for a few seconds, but I guess he knew that he shouldn't interrupt. Then, I just watched. I didn't speak, and I didn't move. I just watched.

When she told him that she had decided to stay, I could see the brief look of pain in his eyes before he covered it up with a smile. He was happy ... I knew it, because no matter what she decided, as long as she was happy, he was too, because he loved her.

The look in his eyes ... the deep emotion flowing out of them ... he did nothing to cover it up. He let that emotion run free ...

... if only _she_ had seen that emotion ... maybe she would have gone with him.

I know he would have liked that; he wanted her by his side.

I smiled.

I couldn't hate her. Because of the pain I had seen her eyes, because of the pain I knew she felt because of what she had been forced to do, who she had been forced to kill ... and I couldn't hate her, because I had seen the pain in _his_ eyes, the deep, deep need to save her.

I couldn't hate her ... because she was the one he loved.

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I have _never_ written from Kūkaku's POV before. It was ... different. : D I decided to put it up because I have reached my 15 document limit. Yees, I have THAT MANY things written/in progress. I'm just not putting them up yet.

**_Please Review!_**


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